The next moment, a strikingly handsome yet unruly face suddenly flashed in her mind—Ethan Barnes, that devil!

They say time can heal all, can make you forget everything, but every night, his face would linger before her eyes, haunting her relentlessly. Five years had passed, yet his visage hadn’t faded in the slightest; instead, it had only become more vivid.

She couldn’t accept the touch of any man, including Dominic Reynolds.

She didn’t know why, perhaps Ethan had left an indelible mark on her, making her abhor the affairs between men and women.

Celeste Linden suddenly opened her eyes and reached out to press against Dominic’s chest.

Dominic stopped and looked at her, "Honey, if you really can’t accept this, then let’s just forget about tonight."

Celeste saw the gloom and disappointment in his eyes. For the past five years, Dominic had unconditionally tolerated her, waited for her; anyone would be disappointed.

Celeste offered up her wrists, "Dominic, you can tie me up, then I won’t resist."

Dominic was surprised, then gave a bitter smile—was this the only way he could have her?

"Honey, forget it. I’ll always wait for you, waiting for the day when you are willing." Dominic said.

Celeste knew that day would never come...

"Dominic, actually you can..."

Dominic reached out to cover Celeste’s mouth, speaking softly, "Honey, you must have gone through some painful experiences in the past, right? There was a man in your life that you still can’t forget, right?"

Celeste’s pupils shrunk—had he guessed it already?

For five years, he had never asked, and she never brought up those pasts. It seemed he had already figured out a bit.

"Honey, from the first moment I saw you five years ago, I knew you were a girl with a story. I’ve always wanted to know who that man was, but I restrained myself. I wanted to wait, wait until you could talk to me about him casually, talk about your past."

"I’m not in any rush, because you’re already married to me. We have a lifetime of time, and I’ll always be by your side, protecting you and loving you. I believe that day will eventually come."

"So don’t do unhappy things for me, don’t force yourself to compromise for me. That already goes against my intention of loving you."

"I love you, I just want to make you happy."

Celeste felt warmth in her heart as she realized how lucky she was to have encountered Dominic after her hardships.

How many like Dominic could exist in this world, who wouldn’t mind her past?

Celeste reached out and hugged Dominic’s neck, closing her eyes gently, "Dominic, thank you, I’ve been trying."

Dominic smiled, "Just hearing those words from you is enough."

...

Late at night, Dominic was already asleep, but Celeste couldn’t sleep because she knew Ethan, that devil, was waiting for her.

Celeste went to the balcony, took out her phone, and dialed a number. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Soon, the call was connected, and Ethan’s familiar voice came through, "Celeste, why aren’t you asleep so late?"

His laughter was careless and filled with malice, like a sovereign looking down at ants underfoot, inducing fear.

Celeste gripped her phone tightly, "Was it you?"

"You calling me so late is just for your husband’s little issue?"

"Ethan, don’t beat around the bush, I know you’re behind all of this. Tell me, what exactly do you want?"

"Celeste, must you force me to say it out loud? Of course, I want... you."

Celeste’s face went pale; he still hadn’t let her go, still wanted to imprison her, turn her into a plaything stripped of dignity.

But she was human.

"Celeste, I know I was wrong five years ago, made you afraid of me. I’ve realized my mistakes, rest assured, I won’t force you now. I’m waiting for you to come to me!"

After saying that, Ethan abruptly hung up the phone.

Listening to the busy tone on the other end, Celeste’s heart sank to the bottom. He was so confident and certain; there must be worse things waiting for Dominic.

She understood this devil too well; he wouldn’t stop until he achieved his goals.

The night was very cold, and Celeste’s hands and feet were freezing with no warmth. She extended her slender arms and hugged herself.

...

Things indeed went in the worse direction just as Celeste anticipated; she received news that Dominic had been taken away for investigation.

A listed company was implicated in two fatalities; the CEO was caught, and once this news broke, the company was not far from bankruptcy.

The company’s PR department worked overtime, barely covering up the news. Celeste rushed to the police station to see Dominic but was rejected.

Celeste realised these were part of a dense web, a trap Ethan had set to ensnare her.

She didn’t know if Dominic was in danger while detained.

If Dominic suffered because of her, she wouldn’t forgive herself for life.

Celeste immediately drove to Ethan’s mansion, her first time there.

Ethan was now high-powered, wielding influence in the region. Before, she had only heard of his reputation; now, standing before his mansion, she saw its extravagance, dazzling like a palace, where he lived like a king.

"Who are you looking for, miss?" The butler approached.

"I’m looking for your master, Ethan Barnes."

The butler was startled hearing Celeste directly call the master’s name, "Miss, do you have an appointment? King Hayden isn’t someone you can just meet."

"I don’t want to see him either. He forced me here, so I came. Get out of my way!" Celeste strode inside directly.

In the lounge, she immediately saw Ethan lounging lazily on the sofa, surrounded by alluring beauties.

Those beauties served him diligently, kneading his shoulders, and even peeled grapes to feed him.

"King Hayden, are you pleased with my service? You haven’t called for me in a while; could I serve you tonight? I miss you."

"King Hayden, I feel unwell, my heart is racing; come feel it, it’s right here."

"King Hayden, didn’t you say my dancing is the best? I’ve just learned a new dance; come to my room tonight, I’ll dance just for you."

In ancient times, men were surrounded and enjoyed the fortune of having many women, but Ethan had so many beauties that his hands couldn’t hold all of them. The beauties exhausted their means to please him, vying for favor, as Ethan squinted, enjoying it all.

Celeste almost felt sick; she had heard about his formidable harem. Today, witnessing it, she found it wasn’t exaggerated at all.